A woman vendor sits beneath a yellow plastic sheet stretched over her stall, using a large rock behind her as a raised surface to place her ice box and goods. In the absence of any formal stall or platform, the rock, tarp, and ground together become her improvised workspace to protect herself and her merchandise from the sun. In the absence of government support, vendors often have to invest their own money on basics like water, shade and other improvised ways to stay cool during Delhi's hot summer. Photo credit: Meenal Upreti
As part of India Climate Week, WIEGO, Janpahal and the Self-Employed Women’s Association of Delhi are holding a policy dialogue on heat.
Extreme heat is increasingly recognized as a major threat to health, livelihoods and urban life, yet government responses remain largely fragmented across health, disaster management and urban policy.
The event will bring together climate, urban and labour experts alongside government stakeholders to examine the state of heat action planning, the implications of heat’s recent notification as a disaster and concrete policy recommendations for protecting workers in informal employment from extreme heat.
Panellists will discuss:
- the state of health evidence, policy and institutional frameworks on heat action and the practical implications for cities and communities.
- how heat action can move beyond plans and advisories to provide meaningful protection for people who work in homes, streets and other exposed spaces.
- how heat policy can better account for gender and care work, the built environment, public space and the everyday realities of informal work.
- what more inclusive and effective heat protection could look like.
About India Climate Week 2026
India Climate Week is a nationwide, community-owned platform for climate action which is jointly run by a coalition of organizations to showcase what’s working, help people understand climate change and connect individuals and organizations working on climate who wouldn’t normally interact.
Register to attend(this link opens in new window)
